The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly with storage for a personal computer and a work table within the seat bottom. The work table contains means for storing a personal computer in the seat bottom and is movable from a stowed position to a raised, generally horizontal use position for use by a person seated in an adjacent vehicle seat.
Vehicle owners are expecting more and more features in their vehicles which make a motor vehicle more useful and more than simply a means of transportation. Many people who travel by vehicle for business purposes may conduct a significant amount of business from within their vehicles. A flexible vehicle seat, such as a front passenger seat with a desktop, is desired by persons working out of their vehicles. The present invention provides a vehicle seat assembly that contains a table that can be used as a writing surface or for supporting a computer for use by a person seated in the driver's seat. The table is stowed beneath the seat cushion and can be used to store a personal computer beneath the seat cushion.
The table is accessed by raising the center portion of the seat bottom pad to reveal the space beneath the pad. The table is then pulled upward to a position above the seating surface and rotated to a generally horizontal position. Once in a horizontal position, the table is rotated about a vertical axis toward the occupant of an adjacent seat. The table forms a carriage to which a computer can be attached. The top surface of the computer can be used as a writing surface to support a pad of paper. Alternatively, with the computer removed, the table can be used as a writing surface. The seat assembly may include a power point electrical connection to connect the computer into the vehicle battery to conserve the charge of the computer's battery.
In one embodiment of the invention, the table is moved from a stowed position at an incline rearward and upward and then later rotated to the horizontal position. In addition to providing computer storage, file and other paper storage slots are also provided in the seat bottom beneath the cushion pad.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.